Palm Sunday 2012
St. Hilda
Is 50:4-9a Ps 31:9-16 Phil 2:5-11 Mark 14:1-15:47
The Rev. Anne Moore
After the reading of the Passion in Mark
That is our story…my job this morning is to get us ready for Holy Week – to be ready to enter into all that Jesus is – all he meant to the people of his time and what he means for us today. Mostly, I just have questions for you today:
What does he have to teach us about our comfortable lives?
How are we like the woman who anointed him, or the disciples, Pilate, or Judas? How did it feel to yell “crucify him”?
How do we fall asleep in the midst of injustice?
Can we stay conscious through the story and take in all that is happening?
It is a tall order when we’d rather look the other way and just get to Easter- for it is true that there is always resurrection and transformation around the corner of our lives. But Holy Week is a good time to look at the hard parts that we’d rather deny.
The gospel writers often talk about how clueless the disciples were…I wonder if we’re much different.
Can we stay awake to the way Jesus would respond to our culture today?
What would he say about hungry people, children with no school, people ostracized for loving someone of the same gender?
What would he say about our prejudices that separate and hurt?
What would he say about young girls (and boys) bought for slavery and abuse? What would he say about the changes in the earth, our use of creation’s natural resources?
What would he say about our treatment of immigrants, about violence and war?
What of all this is now “normal” in our world? What are we hardened to?
It is sad to lay out a list like that…but there is much to be sad about and it is hard to take it all in at once, for we are only human and we can get quite overwhelmed and paralyzed.
Thank goodness we have each other, thank goodness we have the story – that teaches us to take Jesus more and more into our lives.
It means staying there in the hard parts when we can and drawing out that jar of extravagant oil and anointing all the hurt, or allowing someone to anoint us with healing oil, with love.
Jesus said this woman with no name would always be remembered. One writer found the core meaning or “remember” is closer to “restoration” – “to put back together as it was originally” (McKenna, quoted by Kate Huey). Let us work at restoring our lives, this earth.
This week, it means showing up at the foot of the cross with the Marys and the Centurion and Joseph of Arimathea and proclaiming our solidarity with Jesus. It means doing what we can…today, in this place. It means trusting God without knowing exactly what will happen tomorrow.
In the story, we see the reality of Jesus’ abandonment and death. We can know in our gut, our head and our heart that he is constantly with us in our suffering and loss as well as our joys and delights.
We are headed toward the resurrection – the promise of growth and new life.
But, today, this is the story where we live…and this Jesus stands by us and waits. He doesn’t force us to do anything, but continues to walk with us in this journey we call humanity. And we are old enough to know that we will be blessed and learn to be a blessing.
So, how will we make it through this next week?
The other day, I went to see the writer, Anne Lamott – she is so down to earth and honest about life – and funny, bringing on some belly laughs. I think Jesus would like her – the way she’s so comfortable in her skin, in touch with reality and can sit in sorrow – at the same time, she pokes fun at life and laughs – it brings a lift of burden, some peace at last. During another speech, she said this about nourishing our spirit and the spirit of others:
First, find a path, and a little light to see by. Every single spiritual tradition says the same three things:
1) Live in the now, as often as you can, a breath here, a moment there.
2) You reap exactly what you sow.
3) You must take care of the poor, or you are so doomed that we can’t help you.
You don’t have to go overseas. There are people right here who are poor in spirit; worried, depressed, dancing as fast as they can, whose kids are sick, or whose retirement savings are gone. There is great loneliness among us, life-threatening loneliness. People have given up on peace, on equality. [They’ve even given up on the Democratic Party, which I haven’t, not by a long shot.] You do what you can, what good people have always done: You bring thirsty people water; you share your food, you try to help the homeless find shelter, you stand up for the underdog.
Anything that can help you get your sense of humor back feeds the spirit, too. [In the Bill Murray army movie “Stripes,” a very tense recruit announces during his platoon’s introductions, “My name is Francis. No one calls me Francis. Anyone calls me Francis, I’ll kill them. And I don’t like to be touched — anyone tries to touch me, I’ll kill them.” And the sergeant responds, “Oh, lighten up, Francis.”] So you may need to upgrade your friends. You need to find people who laugh gently at themselves, who remind you gently to lighten up.
Rest and laughter are the most spiritual and subversive acts of all. Laugh, rest, slow down.
So, let’s get through the week by being present to the hard stuff and finding time to laugh and rest and slow down; and I would add – spending some quality time with people you love…
At church this week, I invite you to the services that will make for a meaningful Holy Week.
-This Wednesday, we’ll have our last Lenten Study with Walter Brueggemann at 5:30, then Tenebrae at 7pm. The word Tenebrae means “darkness” or “shadows” – there are candles and readings and eventually darkness signifying Jesus’ death, evil, the dark night. It is not a long service, but powerful.
-Thursday at 5:30, we remember Maundy Thursday when we find Jesus and the disciples at the last Supper. Jesus washes their feet, presenting himself as servant and leader. It is at this service that the altar is stripped and everything is removed from the sanctuary.
- Friday at noon, we will read Stations of the Cross, remembering Jesus’ journey to the cross. At 5:30, there will be the traditional Good Friday service with readings and solemn prayers.
There is no Holy Communion at Tenebrae or Good Friday.
I hope you will come to as much of this as you possibly can. Easter will be even more meaningful as we remember the whole story and celebrate the resurrection of the Christ and the possibility of new life.
Maundy Thursday, April 5, 2012
Maundy Thursday, 2012
St. Hilda
John 13:1-15
The Rev. Anne Moore (revised from 2004)
As we remember the story of our Lord tonight, I share with you an image of Jesus kneeling at Peter’s feet with his head deeply bowed;
intent on washing Peter’s feet.
Jesus looks strong and rugged.
His sleeves are rolled up so you can see the muscles in his arms.
His long hair is drawn back so you can see the strength in his neck.
He looks like a working man in simple clothing; more like a servant than a king.
Peter has his head bent down, his long beard draped over his chest.
His face holds an expression of distress; he seems anxious, as if what is happening to him is not making sense. This is change, he doesn’t like it.
He has heard Jesus’ words “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me”.
He still isn’t sure what that means or what is happening;
but with his hands folded in his lap,
Peter resigns himself to this intimate cleansing by his Lord.
I’m describing a 19th century British painting by Ford Mattox Brown
The disciples sit behind the table – watching.
Some are talking, asking one another what is going on.
They seem anxious and restless; one even looks horrified.
It is usually the servant who washes the feet of a visitor.
This is our powerful Lord, we’ve heard him speak words of justice and truth;
we have seen him heal the sick time and time again;
some of us saw him glorified in a mystical mountain epiphany.
This isn’t right; we should be washing his feet.
There is just a hint of a halo surrounding Jesus’ head
and is echoed in a wider circle created from bodies bending into one another – Jesus is bowed at Peter’s feet, Peter is slightly slouched with his head down –
it forms a circle of relationship between the two – a movement of giving and receiving, receiving and giving.
The relationship between disciple and Lord has changed, reversed. Jesus washes and cleanses tenderly; teaching his disciples one last time:
I have given you an example,
that you also should do what I have done to you.”
He gives his new commandment: “Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another.” Love one another through life of all kinds, through joy and difficulty…
Jesus washes the feet that walk the ground in the dirt and dust and who knows where.
His washing cleanses the disciples, consecrating them – making them holy. Some say the foot washing is the eighth sacrament – a dedication into Jesus’ priesthood and kingdom.
Jesus sends the disciples out in the world in humility and love to be leaders and servants at the same time.
He asks for relationship with them; he commands their loving relationship with one another.
He commands forgiveness and reconciliation.
Peter doesn’t understand this yet. He isn’t very good at receiving. We wonder if Peter will be humbled by Jesus’ gift. Eventually, he and all the disciples will remember this night and draw strength from it.
It is both surprising and humbling to be unexpectedly loved and served.
As a teacher of little children, I felt like I did a lot of serving. [This story took place many years ago but I remember it well.]
In the small town of Mt. Angel, there was a homeless shelter run by the Benedictine nuns.
When children from the “shelter” came to our school, often their basic needs had not been met, they had trouble learning because they moved so much, and were often from a broken family.
Teachers were challenged to figure out how to meet a child’s needs. One day, in the middle the year, a little girl named Megan arrived in my class. She was sweet and quiet, seemed easy-going and personable, but certainly had some problems we needed to work on. A few weeks passed and I wondered if I’d ever find the best ways to help her.
One particular day after school, I was tired and cranky, complaining about the workload, wishing I could go home. Megan arrived at the door carrying an almost dead plant, in which a wooden cross made from scrap wood had been stuck down into the soil. On the cross was glued a prayer cut out of a devotional magazine.
She reached up and I bent over; our hands touched as she offered her gift and I received it, creating the same kind of circle of love that Jesus and Peter had… She said little, turned around and left. I never saw her again.
Like Peter, I didn’t understand why she was doing this. It was different than the usual gifts children give teachers, it didn’t make sense. I was surprised and humbled and when you are humbled it is hard to be cranky and ungrateful.
Later on, I could imagine her joy as she created the cross.
Her gift brought me a new perspective, a reminder to place Jesus in my work life. She offered grace. She gave me her love, for no apparent reason.
If you look around you will see these circles of loving relationship everywhere. You can even imagine the circles intersecting, connecting with one another, creating spirals of love – of Jesus’ intention for us.
A three year old sitting in his mother’s lap – mother’s head dropped down next to his – some sort of soft murmuring going on between them.
You can certainly see the circle in the embrace of two people who have just forgiven one another.
You see it as the bread and cup are offered and received at the table.
But Jesus washes feet that walk through this world that can get pretty ugly.
We can see the bond break as we look at
the factions in our church,
the mental health crisis
exclusion and abuse of certain peoples
violence and war
disrespect and abuse of creation and its resources.
Like the disciples, we are called to respond.
Do we respond like Peter? “Jesus, Don’t wash my feet.” Don’t change what I know. Don’t ask me to let you serve me. Don’t ask me to be a servant and leader and an agent for change all at the same time.
What would happen if we placed ourselves in the position of Jesus or Peter? Imagine Jesus at your feet. His touch is gentle but deliberate. Are you caught off guard, wondering what is happening? Do you understand his requests?
Imagine Jesus washing the feet of someone you know who needs his love.
Imagine yourself at the feet of an enemy. It is said that Jesus washed the feet of all the disciples.
We could even put the whole ball of the earth in Peter’s place.
In a few minutes, we will bend down at each other’s feet and together we will create that circle of loving relationship –
we will give and accept the gift of service and walk out into the world, commissioned to lead and serve in love.
It is with God’s love and remembering that we leave tonight in darkness, following Jesus to Gethsemane, to the cross and to the promise of the resurrection.